AMPED (38 page)

Desh was fascinated. Griffin would still be in an enhanced state for almost forty minutes, but his superior mind must have calculated that while he couldn’t snap himself back to normalcy to spare his overtaxed system, he could at least put his brain in idle.

Desh checked his watch once again. If everything worked as hoped, they should be able to avert the crisis with ten or twenty minutes to spare. But worst case, if they missed a few nukes, at least the destruction and mass death would be
local
—the world would still survive. Still, Desh knew he would feel a whole lot better in seventy-two minutes. And better still in seventy-two
hours
.

Jake and Desh donned headphones as the helicopter lifted off and banked to the east. Desh took one last look at the magnificent
Copernicus
, lighted up like a massive firefly against a blanket of endless darkness, a fitting testament to mankind’s creative genius. Like everything else about the past month, the situation was surreal. If someone would have told him a month earlier that Matt Griffin would save the world from alien nanites—from the deck of world’s largest luxury cruise liner—and that rather than being heralded as a savior, he would be whisked away as though fleeing the scene of a crime, Desh would have laughed his ass off—just before having whoever had spouted such nonsense institutionalized.

The Sikorski continued on a southeasterly heading toward South Africa; the ride smooth as silk. The interior of the craft sported lacquered wood cabinetry, mirrors, and inlaid video screens, along with a fully stocked bar, and was largely empty since it had a passenger capacity of ten.

The men gazed out of the windows in silence as the clock counted down to zero, alone with their thoughts. Griffin was still out cold, having doubtlessly made the transition back to normalcy some minutes before.

With five minutes left until time zero, Jake rose from his chair, walked the short distance to the bar, and poured two glasses of Champaign into delicate crystal goblets. He returned to his seat and handed a glass to Desh.

Desh took the glass and nodded. Just when he thought things could not get more surreal, here he was in a decadent helicopter, flying over the South Atlantic with a sworn enemy and an unconscious friend, seconds away from the end of the world, holding a glass of champagne like it was New Year’s Eve.

Desh placed the glass on the armrest beside him, glanced at his watch, and once again peered out the window. Would the sky suddenly turn crimson? Would the fire of man-made suns turn night into day, and Earth into a lifeless hell? How many seconds would they have before a nuclear shock wave shattered the Sikorski like a rose dipped in liquid nitrogen?

Griffin’s code should work. But
should
and
would
were too different things.

“We’re through!” declared Jake excitedly beside him. They had hit time zero while Desh had been lost in thought.

Desh nodded, not allowing himself to be excited. Not just yet. “Let’s wait for the celebration,” he said. “Until you get your report.”

They had to wait five additional minutes until the report came in over Jake’s headphones. He lifted his glass of champagne and faced Desh. “No explosions reported anywhere. Looks like your friend’s code worked like a charm.”

Desh grinned from ear to ear and clinked glasses with the colonel.
Griffin had done it
, thought Desh as he drank. If not for Kira, the world would have ended. Her treatment to boost the human IQ had staved off total disaster. But at what cost to
her
?

Jake listened to his headphones on a private channel and then switched over to a channel that Jake and Kolke could hear. “I’ve been told that reports are coming in from around the world—from basically everyone studying nanites—that they’ve disintegrated,” he said triumphantly. “The full story of the Armageddon we just dodged, and how we dodged it, is now being released around the globe,” he continued. “Also, the
Copernicus
is setting up a press conference. They were frantically searching for Matt to headline, so Dutton had to disclose that he was no longer on board.”

“How was
that
received?” asked Desh.

“Not well,” replied Jake. He frowned and turned to face Griffin. “I just wish the big guy was awake so we could lift him on our shoulders.” He made a face. “Metaphorically speaking, of course. When he’s not the world’s biggest asshole, he’s a heck of a sweet guy.”

Desh laughed. He wanted to ask if that meant Jake would stop trying to kill him, but he didn’t want to spoil the festive mood.

They landed forty minutes later at another hastily constructed heliport near the coast of South Africa, and were finally forced to awaken Matt, as well as remove his IV, since the bag was nearly drained. They showered him with congratulations, but he was too exhausted to even smile, barely able to lift himself out of his seat to exit the helicopter.

The staging area handled all helo traffic to and from the
Copernicus
. A U.N. security force patrolled the perimeter and ensured that no weapons were smuggled aboard the international ship.

A Humvee pulled up as they exited the Sikorski and drove them to the American quarters, consisting of several hangers, temporary barracks, and a hastily constructed office building that had been designated as headquarters.

As they emerged from the car, now beyond the U.N. perimeter and on what was considered American soil for the duration of the
Copernicus
mission, four soldiers surrounded them, each aiming a semi-automatic pistol at the group.

“You’re under arrest!” barked one of the men, a lieutenant.

“
At ease
,
Lieutenant
,” snapped Jake, a hint of barely contained rage in his tone. “These men are my guests. I gave explicit orders that a jet was to be readied to take us all stateside.”

None of the men moved in the slightest.

“Lower your weapons!” shouted Jake. “That’s a direct order!”

The lieutenant shook his head. “You are no longer in command,” he said. He turned to face John Kolke. “What are your orders, Colonel?”

“
Colonel?
” snapped Jake incredulously.

“That’s right,” confirmed Kolke. “I’ve been given a field promotion.” His lip curled up into a snarl. “And you’re under arrest for crimes against your country
you son of a bitch
.”

57

Desh was exhausted, but his body and mind snapped to full alert, not that this would do him any good. Jake had intended to keep his word, as Kira knew he would. But as they had feared, those around him had no intention of doing so, although it was surprising they had enough power to throw Jake under the bus. Desh glanced at his bearded friend, but he was as emotionless as a zombie, his body still in a low energy state as it fought to regain equilibrium.

“What crimes?” demanded Jake, his eyes burning like twin lasers.

“Don’t worry,” replied Kolke as he joined the soldiers, obtaining a spare weapon from one of them. “I’ll list the crimes and show you the evidence against you soon enough.”

“And you’ve
seen
this evidence?” asked Jake skeptically.

“That’s right,” said Kolke. He gestured to the men who surrounded them. “We all have. It’s as tight as a drum.”

“It’s a frame and you know it!” spat Jake.

“Not
this
evidence,” insisted Kolke. “But enough of this. You’ll have your day in court.”

At Kolke’s order, plastic handcuffs were ratcheted around the wrists of all three prisoners. Kolke gestured to Desh and Griffin. “Bring them to the C-20 and have the pilot take off as soon as possible. As for the colonel, I’m taking him into the headquarters building for immediate interrogation.”

“We were told he’s to be sent to the States in a separate jet,” said the lieutenant.

“Keep it ready,” said Kolke. “This won’t take long. But there’s some key intel I need from him immediately.”

“How many of us would you like to accompany you, sir?” asked the lieutenant.

“None, Lieutenant.” He raised his gun and pointed it at Jake’s chest. “I’ve got this. And I need to be alone. If he doesn’t talk willingly, things may get a little . . . messy.”

Desh and Griffin were driven to the airfield several miles away and marched into the C-20 waiting for them there, a military version of the Gulfstream corporate jet. Once inside, additional restraints were added, and Desh knew they had no chance of escape during the flight—not with elite soldiers on board to mind them. Desh could only hope that once they landed, whoever they were up against would let down their guard long enough for him to make an escape attempt. But the odds of this were long.

Eric Frey had told him he had someone planted inside Jake’s camp, and it looked like this someone was John Kolke—or at least the recently promoted colonel was working closely with whoever it was.

But regardless, the stench of Eric Frey was all over this. He had no doubt that the captain of the recently deceased
Codon
would be paying a visit soon after they landed. Desh’s last encounter with the man had been a disaster. But he was certain his next encounter would be even worse.

58

John Kolke entered the office behind Jake and ordered him, still at gunpoint, to take a seat. He closed the door and took a seat himself behind a large desk, facing his ex-commander.

Kolke lowered the gun. “I’m really sorry about this, Colonel,” he said earnestly. “But I do have a plan.”

Jake’s eyes narrowed. “Does that mean you’re still with me?” he asked in surprise.

Kolke nodded. “Dutton has unimpeachable evidence against you. Evidence of treason, payoffs, millions of dollars in accounts in the Caymans, and more. Much more. It’s a spectacular frame.” He allowed himself a shallow smile. “Hell, I was half expecting to see evidence that you were responsible for 9/11.”

“If the evidence is so good, why don’t you believe it?” asked Jake.

 
“I don’t care if God himself came down and told me you were a traitor, I wouldn’t buy it. I’ve worked with you too closely not to have gained a sense of your soul. I’ve seen what this job has done to you. I’ve seen you make hard choices when a lesser man would have made easy ones. I’ve seen the agony you feel when you cause others unnecessary pain. You wouldn’t work against this country.”

“Thanks, John. Your faith in me means more than you’ll ever know.”

Kolke gave Jake an almost imperceptible nod to acknowledge these words and then continued. “Dutton says he’s long suspected you. He shared his evidence with me and the men here at the staging area, so we could move on you the moment you left the
Copernicus
.”

“And you decided to play along.”

“Right. I figured it was the only way I could help you. If he suspected I didn’t buy the evidence against you, he’d have rolled over me as well.”

“I’m sure you’re right.”

“That bastard was
relentless
making sure this happened. He told me he’d pulled strings to have me promoted to colonel—just to ensure my loyalty, I’m guessing. But the thing is, he arranged all of this
after
the nanites came on the scene. Before Matt figured out exactly what they were up to, true, but at a time everyone was pretty sure we were in deep shit. Can you imagine? The world is coming to an end and all he’s worried about is taking you off the board.”

Jake thought about this for several seconds. “No. Taking me off the board isn’t what he wants. I was just in the way. He’s after Icarus. But he knows I’d have honored my commitment to Matt and David, and let them go—which he has no intention of doing.”

“So he’s willing to destroy you,” said Kolke in disgust, “and break a promise to the man who just stopped doomsday?”

“Yes. And I won’t be given my day in court, either. Believe me, he’ll see to it that a rogue black-ops agent like me is taken care of quietly and discretely.” He paused and stared intently at Kolke. “So what now?”

Kolke pulled a pair of plastic handcuffs from his pocket. “I’ve prepared these. I’ve sawed the teeth off the strips, so it’ll look like you’re bound, but you can free your hands whenever you want. You’ll have the element of surprise, and I’m well aware of your reputation in hand-to-hand. Can I assume you’ll be able to overpower a lone escort, no matter how well armed?”

Jake nodded. “That shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Good. Escaping from me would arouse Dutton’s suspicions. So I’ll call the lieutenant in here to take you to your plane. If you can overpower him quickly enough that he doesn’t even realize you escaped your cuffs, so much the better. But whatever you do, be sure to take the cuffs
with
you. If anyone gets a look at them, they’ll know I was behind the escape.”

Jake nodded grimly.

“Once you’ve escaped, I’m afraid you’re on your own in South Africa for awhile. But just until I can find a way to clear your name. I’ll pretend to be loyal to Dutton and get to the bottom of this as fast as I can.”

He removed Jake’s cuffs and replaced them with the ones he had doctored. When he finished, he put his hand warmly on Jake’s shoulder. “Good luck, Colonel. I’ll get you out of this. I promise.”

“You’re a good man, John,” came the heartfelt reply. “I will never forget this.”

Jake’s mind raced as Kolke called for the lieutenant. Escaping should be doable, although the next five or ten hours were not going to be fun. But then what?

What did this all mean?

For one thing, it called into question everything he thought he knew about Kira Miller. If he could be framed so skillfully, then perhaps she had been also, just as she claimed.

And Desh had warned him there was an insider in his camp. It could be that Dutton was just power hungry, or even thought he was being patriotic by hanging on to Desh and Griffin. But given that Dutton had no qualms at all about framing Jake, and probably having him killed, it was far more likely that Dutton was the inside man, taking orders from a deceased USAMRIID scientist named Eric Frey.

Maybe Kira Miller was just who she claimed to be.